The first female prime minister of Equatorial Guinea is Manuela Roka Botey.
Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the longtime leader of the West African nation, chose Botey from her post as vice-minister of education to succeed Francisco Pascual Obama Adue, who had been in that position for almost eight years.
Obiang announced Botey’s appointment on state television. His son, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the nation’s vice-president, congratulated Botey by tweeting, “For the first time in Equatorial Guinea, a woman is appointed prime minister.”
“This is additional evidence of the nation’s dedication to female equality and opportunities. Happy birthday, Manuela Roka Botey!
Obiang, the president of Equatorial Guinea, who is currently 80 years old, solidified his position as the world’s longest-serving leader in November when he was re-elected with 95% of the vote for a sixth term in office.
When claims of voter fraud in the election first surfaced, the United States urged authorities to work with all interested parties to address them because there were “serious doubts about the credibility of the announced results.”
There have only been two presidents of Equatorial Guinea since it achieved independence from Spain in 1968; Obiang ousted his uncle Francisco Macias Nguema in a coup in August 1979.
The two leaders of the nation, Francisco and Obiang, have been dubbed by rights organizations as some of Africa’s worst human rights violators.